Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-11
THE RICHMOND DIsPATCH--TUEsDAY. JANUARY II 1887

" LbO1(h " N ~ " <SAIS~
Norfolk and Western railroad from NOT
folk and On 10 Memphis, Tenn; where IN
that long distance will he sec any res' sign
OF thrift and prosperity save at the Ie"
places where the railroads choose TO dissri-
butte their favorsi
IL II true that the railroads area mJrVer
lousy cheap means OF transporaron
cheaper than the uninitisted aTe aware OF,
I'm view OF the fact that such bulks OF
freight can be transported such great aus
tances at such tri1ing cost? IL they are,
who should receive the benefit OF II III tnis
land where the people are supposed 70
TIile, II not the people themselves -
there any good and sufficient reason why
may not 20 10 my nearest depot aud pur.
chase anything / may need for my htm
Why must | send my money two nunureu
miles from home when want mower,
corn-sbeller, &C., on the best termsv why
can they not keep anything but the cheap
est and commonest goods, selling ut OUTSIDE
retail prices, and barely living NJ tha..
Should they not be able to supply me WIN
ANYTHING I may want from Richmond or
New York for Just what 1t would cost me
at those places plus the freightp why II u
that my depot Is not something oil nom
market with factories, &c, for tue purcndse
OF my surplus producer Is 1t not becau'e
my money and that OF my neighDor mus
be sent to distant cities and across The ocean
TO enrich those who live beyond the range
Of my produces
IL costs a railroad a certain sum 10
transport a hog one mile on its line NJ
reasonable profit. As common carriers
who deal equally with all they should
transport one hog or ten thousand at lust
that rate, else they discriminate IN favor OF
the rich against the poor. The question OF
wholesale and retail does not enter into
the business OF q common carrier. III
Door man writes one letter q year the Gov
eminent transports II TO any point Tor Two
cents, and II rich man write one thou
sand in The same time he pays two cents
for each, and who complains OF such equl'
" as that? " no that has any Information
on the subject will deny that the iayors OF
these gigantic corporations are granted to
the few who are rich, and withheld from
the many who are poor2 Who can deny
that they are making the rich richer and
the poor poorer?
One OF the most dangerous features OF
this whole business is that nearly two thirds
OF our railroad systems are owned by
foreign syndicates. We have been driven
from the commercial competition on the
sea, and we are thus being deprived OF this
great privilege on land. What sympathy
has the wealthy dweller on the Rhine with
the democracy Of America? IL Congress
should let out our coast defences to foreign
ers, to be run by them for reasonable
compensation, would that exhibit less OF
wisdom than the granting Of our Internal
commerce to them on similar termsg
lisa notorious and admitted fact that
railroad officials interfere in our elections;
they corrupt our lawmakers; they bride
our Judges they have in their employ our
best legal talent, and own many OF our
most Influential papers; they make the
widest and most uncertain determinations
in their charges, and may thus keep the
commercial world In the widest specula-
tive excitement. What may we expect
from such an order OF things but periods
Of such excitement, called "booms," FOL
lowed by disastrous cOllapses, in which the
unemployed labOrers are goaded into a
rage which, IN its ignorance, strikes down
friend and foe?
Leave out from the inter.St commerce
bill now before Congress the discrimination
feature and the iorbldding Of pooling and
rebates, and it will be as silly aud idle as
the Pope's Nominations against the comet.
TIE people are looking 20 Congress to
remedy these wrongs. II the present Con-
gress should fail to do its duty, then it will
he q question for the next election to settle.
II that should fail, end there be no power
in State or national legislation to check
these denominations and coniine common
carriers within the limits OF their duties,
then |, as one farmer who has a vote and
who believes that this should be a Govern
ment Of the people, and not OF "hOrse-
| jockeys on a large SCALE" and one who de-
sircs that "liberty enlightening the world"
should not be a ridiculous farce, / am
| ready to shoulder my musket, II necessary,
and tell the railroads that IL they can.
not as common carriers deal with every per.
son and place without any distinction
whatever, their wheels must stop and the
Government: Of the United States shall pay
them q reasonable amount for whatever they
may have invested, and shall take that vital
interest out OF their hands and devote 1t TO
the public welfare. These are the senti-
ments Of one farmer; he believes they are
the sentiments Of more than one. The pe0-
pie are tired OF congressional dilly-dallying
and tOmfOoleIy. They are not slaves and
| w uDl lNNfuu w We lufl WIN wv w
ground down TO a state OF Russian serfdOm
or irish tenantry without resistance that
shall drive out the thieves aud robbers with
a lash Of scorpions. What we want "A high
| places is men Of hOnor-men, for example,
| ike Grover Cleveland. BEDFORD.
January !, 1857.
We suppose that the statement that sixty
millions Of dollars has been lent by Balti-
more capitalists TO Virginia farmers il mis-
take az to the amount, seeing that the as
,essed value OF all the lands in Virginia, IN
Guiding tine cities and all their fine houses
and high lots, is less than three hundred
| millions. However we have not the means
at hand Of giving the correct figures, and
% we let the statement go as It stands, es-
pecally as the argument Of " Bedford " is
not affected by the statement.